August 30, 2024 Immigration Advisory

Please read this information as a guide to help you with your studies and maintain a valid immigration status. The information below may not apply to international students at all campuses.

Contents

  1. Off-campus employment alert
  2. WSU and ISSS closed Monday, September 2, 2023
  3. WA Care Fund Information for those paid by WSU

  1. Off-campus employment alert

The IP-International Student and Scholar Services office would like to remind you that international students require employment authorization to work off campus, either through our office or through a personal benefit application. Working off-campus without proper authorization is a status violation and could result in the termination of your SEVIS record or other negative consequences further down the road (such as during a green card application adjudication).  

We realize this is a complicated topic so please contact us if you would like to discuss the matter with an international student advisor: ip.intlservices@wsu.edu.  

  1. WSU and ISSS closed Monday, September 2, 2023

In observance of Labor Day Holiday, WSU and the ISSS office will be closed Monday, September 2, 2024. We will reopen the next day.

  1. WA Care Fund Information for those paid by WSU

The Washington Cares Fund is a payroll tax that provides long-term care insurance for Washingtonians (permanent residents of Washington State). This tax is .58% per paycheck.  

As a non-resident (F-1 visa holder), you can apply for an exemption to have this amount withheld. To apply for an exemption, please visit this website and submit the requested documentation: Exemptions | WA Cares Fund  

Once the exemption is approved, you will be provided with an approval letter and an effective date (previous tax withholdings cannot be returned). You must show this letter to the WSU Payroll Office and then they will stop withholding the tax premium. The Payroll Office is in room 236 of the French Administration Building in Pullman, WA. For those outside of Pullman, please email a copy of the letter to payroll@wsu.edu.  It’s important that you apply for the exemption as soon as possible upon arrival to WA State, if you would like to apply for the exemption.   


If you have any questions about the above announcement, please contact International Student and Scholar Services.